Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
  • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
  • H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
  • H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
  • H01L21/67098—Apparatus for thermal treatment
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
  • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
  • H01L21/677—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
  • H01L21/67763—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations the wafers being stored in a carrier, involving loading and unloading
  • H01L21/67766—Mechanical parts of transfer devices
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
  • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
  • H01L21/677—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
  • H01L21/67763—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations the wafers being stored in a carrier, involving loading and unloading
  • H01L21/67778—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations the wafers being stored in a carrier, involving loading and unloading involving loading and unloading of wafers
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
  • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
  • H01L21/683—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for supporting or gripping
  • H01L21/6838—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for supporting or gripping with gripping and holding devices using a vacuum; Bernoulli devices
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
  • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
  • H01L21/683—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for supporting or gripping
  • H01L21/687—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for supporting or gripping using mechanical means, e.g. chucks, clamps or pinches
  • H01L21/68707—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for supporting or gripping using mechanical means, e.g. chucks, clamps or pinches the wafers being placed on a robot blade, or gripped by a gripper for conveyance

Definitions

• Substrate transfer device and vertical heat treatment device are identical to Substrate transfer device and vertical heat treatment device
• the present invention relates to a substrate transfer apparatus and a vertical heat treatment apparatus, and particularly to a technique for suppressing stagnation of a substrate when a large-diameter substrate is transferred with an upper grip.
• a vertical heat treatment apparatus semiconductor manufacturing apparatus capable of heat-treating a single wafer at a time is used.
• This vertical heat treatment apparatus includes a heat treatment furnace having a furnace bottom in a lower part, a lid for sealing the furnace bottom, and a plurality of wafers provided on the lid through a ring-shaped support plate.
• a holding tool also called a boat
• an elevating mechanism that moves the lid up and down to carry the holding tool into and out of the heat treatment furnace
• a storage container that stores a plurality of wafers at predetermined intervals
• a substrate transfer device having a plurality of support portions (both forks!) That carry (transfer) the wafer between the holder (both the hoop) and the holder.
• the ring-shaped support plate is used as a measure to prevent or prevent slip (crystal defects) generated at the peripheral edge of the wafer during high-temperature heat treatment.
• a plurality of locking members are provided that are locked to the lower surface of the peripheral edge of the wafer and support the wafer in a suspended state, and each locking member is in a suspended state. It can move back and forth between the wafer support position to be supported and the wafer release position to move to the outside of the outer periphery of the wafer and release the wafer support state, and each locking member is in the range between the wafer support position and the wafer release position.
• an actuator see Patent Document 1.
• Patent Document 1 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-338531
• Patent Document 2 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-311306
• the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible to suppress or prevent stagnation due to the weight of the center of the substrate when the substrate is transported when the substrate has a large diameter.
• An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate transfer apparatus and a vertical heat treatment apparatus that can be used.
• the present invention includes a support portion disposed in the vicinity of a large-diameter substrate, and a gripping mechanism provided on the support portion and capable of gripping and supporting the peripheral edge portion of the substrate.
• a non-contact suction holding part consisting of a blowing hole for blowing gas and a suction hole for sucking gas to the substrate is provided, and the central part of the substrate is sandwiched between the support part and the substrate.
• the present invention is the substrate transport apparatus, wherein the support portion is disposed above the substrate, and the non-contact suction holding portion forms a gas layer between the support portion and the upper surface of the substrate.
• the present invention provides the substrate transport apparatus, wherein the support portion is disposed below the substrate, and the non-contact suction holding portion forms a gas layer between the support portion and the lower surface of the substrate.
• the non-contact suction holding unit includes one or a plurality of non-contact suction holding units each including a suction hole arranged in the center and a plurality of blowing holes arranged around the suction hole.
• a substrate transport apparatus comprising:
• a gas is blown onto the support portion in a direction tangential to the substrate to attach the substrate.
• a substrate transfer apparatus comprising: a rotation blowing nozzle for rotation; and an alignment unit that detects an alignment mark provided on the substrate and aligns the substrate.
• the support unit includes a displacement sensor for optically detecting the tilt of the substrate, and an attitude control mechanism for making the support unit parallel to the substrate based on a detection signal of the displacement sensor force.
• a substrate transfer apparatus characterized in that it is provided.
• a reference plate is provided in the vicinity of the support portion, and a displacement sensor for optically detecting the tilt of the substrate is provided on the reference plate, and is supported by V based on a detection signal of the displacement sensor force.
• a substrate transfer device characterized in that a posture control mechanism is installed to make the part parallel to the substrate!
• the present invention provides a heat treatment furnace having a furnace bottom at the bottom, a lid for sealing the furnace bottom, and a large number of large-diameter substrates provided on the lid through a ring-shaped support plate.
• a holding tool that holds the plurality of substrates at predetermined intervals, a holding tool that holds the holding tool in a heat treatment furnace by raising and lowering the lid, and a holder that holds a plurality of substrates at predetermined intervals.
• a substrate transfer device that supports and conveys the substrate in a substantially horizontal state with an upper grip, and the substrate transfer device is provided near the large-diameter substrate, and a substrate provided on the support portion.
• a gripping mechanism capable of gripping and supporting the periphery of the substrate, and a non-contact suction comprising a blow-out hole for blowing gas to the substrate and a suction hole for sucking gas to the substrate in the support portion
• a holding part is provided to prevent the central part of the substrate from clogging between the support part and the substrate.
• the present invention is the vertical heat treatment apparatus characterized in that the support portion is disposed above the substrate, and the non-contact suction holding portion forms a gas layer between the support portion and the upper surface of the substrate.
• the present invention is the vertical heat treatment apparatus characterized in that the support part is disposed below the substrate, and the non-contact suction holding part forms a gas layer between the support part and the lower surface of the substrate.
• the non-contact suction holding unit includes one or a plurality of non-contact suction holding units each including a suction hole arranged in the center and a plurality of blowout holes arranged around the suction hole. It is a vertical heat treatment device characterized in that it is equipped!
• a gas is blown onto the support portion in a direction tangential to the substrate to attach the substrate.
• a vertical heat treatment apparatus comprising: a rotation blowing nozzle for rotation; and an alignment unit that detects an alignment mark provided on the substrate and aligns the substrate.
• the support unit includes a displacement sensor for optically detecting the tilt of the substrate, and an attitude control mechanism for making the support unit parallel to the substrate based on a detection signal of the displacement sensor force. It is a vertical heat treatment apparatus characterized in that it is provided!
• a reference plate is provided in the vicinity of the support portion, and a displacement sensor for optically detecting the tilt of the substrate is provided on the reference plate, and is supported based on a detection signal of the displacement sensor force.
• This is a vertical heat treatment apparatus characterized in that a posture control mechanism is installed to make the part parallel to the substrate!
• the central portion of the substrate can be sucked and held by the non-contact sucking and holding portion via the gas layer in a non-contact manner, and the central portion of the substrate at the time of transporting the substrate accompanying the super-large diameter of the substrate. It is possible to suppress or prevent itching due to heavy. As a result, it is possible to suppress or prevent the occurrence of stress due to the stagnation of the substrate and the decrease in the conveyance accuracy.
• FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing a vertical heat treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 2 (a) is a front view schematically showing the substrate transfer apparatus, and FIG. 2 (b) is a side view thereof.
• FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a support portion.
• FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the support portion.
• FIG. 5 is a schematic side view for explaining the attitude control mechanism of the support portion.
• FIG. 6 is a schematic front view for explaining the attitude control mechanism of the support portion.
• FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing another embodiment of the substrate transfer apparatus.
• FIG. 8 is a view showing another example of the non-contact suction holding unit.
• FIG. 9 is a schematic view schematically showing a suction flow path of the non-contact suction holding unit.
• FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a pumping flow path of the non-contact suction holding unit.
• FIG. 11 is a view showing a suction holding force measuring device.
• FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing another example of a support portion.
• FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an example of a lower grip type support portion.
• FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing a vertical heat treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention
• FIG. 2 (a) is a front view schematically showing a substrate transfer apparatus
• FIG. 2 (b) is a side view thereof
• FIG. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the support portion
• Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the support portion.
• reference numeral 1 denotes a vertical heat treatment apparatus (semiconductor manufacturing apparatus).
• the vertical heat treatment apparatus 1 is provided on a case 2 that forms an outer shell and an upper part in the case 2, and is a substrate such as a thin plate.
• a vertical heat treatment furnace 3 for accommodating a semiconductor wafer w having a disk shape and a large diameter (a diameter of 300 mrn or a diameter of 400 to 450 mm) and performing a predetermined process such as a CVD process is provided.
• the heat treatment furnace 3 includes a vertically long processing vessel, for example, a quartz reaction tube 5 whose lower part is opened as a furnace 4.
• the furnace tube 4 of the reaction tube 5 is provided with a lid 6 that can be moved up and down to open and close the furnace tube 4, and inside the reaction tube 5 at a predetermined temperature, for example, 300 to 1200 ° so as to cover the periphery of the reaction tube 5.
• a heater (heating mechanism) 7 is installed in C (which may be less than lOOOOC for ultra-large-diameter wafers).
• a SUS base plate 8 for installing the reaction tube 5 and the heater 7 constituting the heat treatment furnace 3 is provided horizontally.
• the base plate 8 is formed with an opening (not shown) for inserting the reaction tube 5 from below to above.
• An outward flange portion (not shown) is formed at the lower end of the reaction tube 5, and the flange portion is held on the base plate 8 by a flange holding member, so that the reaction tube 5 opens the opening of the base plate 8. It is installed in an open state.
• the reaction tube 5 can be removed downward from the base plate 8 for cleaning or the like.
• the reaction tube 5 is an exhaust having a plurality of gas introduction tubes for introducing processing gas and purging inert gas into the reaction tube 5, a vacuum pump capable of controlling the pressure in the reaction tube 5 and a pressure control valve, etc. Pipe is connected (not shown)
• a boat (holding tool) 9 provided on the lid 6 is loaded (loaded) into the heat treatment furnace 3 (that is, the reaction tube 5), or heat treatment is performed.
• a work area (loading area) 10 for carrying out (unloading) or transferring the wafer w to the boat 9 is formed.
• the work area 10 is provided with an elevating mechanism 11 for elevating and lowering the lid 6 so that the boat 9 can be carried in and out.
• the lid 6 contacts the open end of the furnace port 4 to seal the furnace port 4.
• the boat 9 in the illustrated example is made of, for example, quartz, and a large number of, for example, about 50 to 75 wafers w are horizontally arranged through the ring-shaped support plate 13 at predetermined intervals (pitch) in the vertical direction.
• a main body portion 9a that is supported in multiple stages and a leg portion 9b that supports the main body portion 9a are provided, and the leg portion 9b is connected to the rotating shaft of the rotation mechanism.
• a lower heating mechanism (not shown) is provided between the main body 9a and the lid 6 to prevent a temperature drop due to heat radiation from the furnace 4.
• the boat 9 may have only the main body portion 9a, not the leg portion 9b, and may be placed on the lid 6 via a heat insulating cylinder.
• the boat 9 is associated with a plurality of, for example, four columns 12, top plates 12a and bottom plates 12b provided at the upper and lower ends of the columns 12, and grooves provided on the columns 12 at a predetermined pitch. And a ring-like support plate 13 arranged in multiple stages.
• the ring-shaped support plate 13 is made of, for example, quartz or ceramic, has a thickness of about 2 to 3 mm, and is formed to have an outer diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the wafer w.
• a mounting table (load port) 15 is installed in the front part of the casing 2, and a FOUP (FOUP) that is a storage container that stores a plurality of, for example, about 25 wafers w at a predetermined interval. ) 14 is loaded and loaded into and out of case 2.
• the hoop 14 is a hermetic storage container having a front cover (not shown) that can be removed.
• a door mechanism 16 is provided on the front and rear of the work area 10 to remove the lid of the hoop 14 so that the inside of the hoop 14 is opened to the work area 10.
• a wafer transfer device (substrate transfer device) 18 having a fork (support portion) 17 for transferring (transferring) is provided.
• a storage shelf 19 for stocking the hoop 14 and a diagram for transporting the hoop 14 from the load port 15 to the storage shelf 19 or vice versa On the front upper side outside the work area 10, a storage shelf 19 for stocking the hoop 14 and a diagram for transporting the hoop 14 from the load port 15 to the storage shelf 19 or vice versa.
• a hoop conveyance device (not shown) is provided. It should be noted that when the lid 6 is opened above the work area 10, it is possible to prevent the high-temperature furnace heat from being released from the furnace 4 to the work area 10 below. V.
• a shutter mechanism 20 is provided to cover (or close) the furnace port 4 to prevent it.
• the wafer transfer device 18 has a base 21 that can be raised and lowered and turned. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the wafer transfer device 18 is moved up and down by a ball screw (not shown) along a vertical guide 22 (movable up and down) 23 (see FIG. 1 is long in the vertical direction), and a horizontal moving table 24 that can be moved horizontally by a ball screw or the like along the longitudinal direction of the lifting arm 23, and a swivel drive unit 25 on the horizontal moving table 24. And has a box-shaped base 21 that is horizontally long and is provided so as to be able to turn horizontally.
• a moving body 27 that supports the base end of one fork 17 is provided so as to be movable back and forth along the longitudinal direction of the base 21, which is the horizontal direction.
• a moving mechanism (not shown) for moving the moving body 27 forward and backward is provided.
• the vertical heat treatment apparatus 1 includes a controller 41 that controls the wafer transfer apparatus 18.
• the reference plate is included in the fork 17 unlike the wafer transfer device in FIG. 7 (which has a reference plate separately from the fork).
• the fork 17 is formed in a long plate shape along the longitudinal direction of the base 21.
• an upper gripping mechanism 28 capable of supporting the wafer w from the front and rear by an upper grip is provided below the fork 17.
• the upper gripping mechanism 28 is provided at the front end portion of the fork 17 to support the front edge side of the wafer w, and is provided at the rear end side of the fork 17 to removably support the rear edge side of the wafer w.
• a movable support portion 28b and a drive unit that drives the movable support portion 28b back and forth (a position for gripping and releasing a wafer), for example, an air cylinder 28c, may be provided.
• the fixed support portion 28a and the movable support portion 28b are respectively protruded from the lower surface of the fork 17 so as to face the center of the wafer w while the vertical portion 28x is vertically positioned downward.
• the upper surface is formed of a hook portion 28y having a tapered shape, and the peripheral portion of the wafer w is supported on the upper surface of the hook portion 28y.
• the non-contact suction holding unit 30 causes the wafer w to float on the upper surface of the hook portion 28y, and the wafer w is rotated horizontally by tangential gas blowing.
• the gas blowing in the tangential direction is stopped and the rotation of the wafer w is stopped by sandwiching the weno and w between the vertical portions 28x.
• the peripheral part of the wafer w is hook part 28y It is preferable that the wafer w is sufficiently surfaced, so that it does not touch the surface.
• a spacer 29 is provided on the lower surface on the tip side of the fork 17.
• the spacer 29 has a tapered lower surface that receives the front edge side of the wafer w so that a predetermined gap exists between the lower surface of the fork 17 and the upper surface of the wafer w.
• the material of the fixed support portion 28a, the movable support portion 28b, and the spacer 29 is preferably a thermophilic resin such as PEEK (Poly Ether Ether Ketone) material.
• a notch (not shown) for avoiding interference with the fixed locking portion 28a and the movable locking portion 28b. ) Is preferably provided. In the case where the outer diameter of the ring-shaped support plate 13 is smaller than the wafer w, it is not always necessary to provide a notch.
• the fork 17 is non-contacted via an air layer (gas layer) 50 so that gas is blown and sucked onto the central portion of the upper surface of the wafer w and is not sucked into the central portion of the wafer w.
• a non-contact suction holding portion (also referred to as a non-contact suction holding portion) 30 for sucking and holding is provided.
• the non-contact suction holding unit 30 uses a so-called air bearing principle.
• the air layer 50 also includes a thin film (air film).
• This non-contact suction holding part 30 is provided on the lower surface (lower part) of the fork 17 so as to face the central part in the center of the upper surface of the wafer w, and the atmosphere between the lower surface of the fork 17 and the upper surface of the wafer w is provided.
• a suction nozzle (negative pressure nozzle, suction hole) 31 that sucks, that is, negatively sucks the wafer w, is provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction around the suction nozzle 31, and the bottom surface of the fork 17 and the wafer w A gas is blown out between the upper surface and positive pressure so that the wafer is separated from the lower surface of the fork 17 (in other words, an air layer 50 between the lower surface of the fork 17 and the upper surface of the wafer w).
• a plurality of blowing nozzles (positive pressure nozzles, blowing holes) 32 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction around the suction nozzle 31, and the bottom surface of the fork 17 and the wafer w A gas is blown out between the upper surface and positive pressure so that the wafer is separated from the lower surface of the fork 17 (in other words, an air layer 50 between the lower surface of the fork 17 and the upper surface of the wafer w).
• the suction nozzle 31 is connected to a suction source such as a vacuum pump (not shown) via a suction flow path 33.
• the blowout nozzle 32 is connected to a gas pressure source, for example, a cylinder or a compressor (not shown) via an annular flow path 34 and a pressure feed path 35.
• the gas may be air, but an inert gas such as nitrogen gas is preferred.
• the suction flow path 33, the annular flow path 34, and the pressure supply flow path 35 may be pipes. [0041]
• the fork 17 is blown with a gas, for example, nitrogen gas, in a tangential direction on the upper surface of the wafer w, to thereby hold the wafer w .
• a rotation blowing nozzle 36 that rotates about the axis and an alignment unit 37 that detects an alignment mark (not shown) provided on the wafer w and aligns the wafer w are provided. Although only one (for one direction of rotation) may be used as the rotation blowing nozzle 36, it is preferable to arrange two different directions for rotation in both the forward and reverse directions for efficient alignment.
• An opening / closing valve (solenoid valve) 38 is preferably provided between the rotation blowing nozzle 36 and the pressure feed passage 35.
• the alignment mark may be a notch, but it is preferable to use a laser marker marked on the peripheral surface of the wafer.
• the alignment unit 37 includes a sensor that detects an alignment mark on the wafer w, and the controller 41 blows out gas (including direction) from the rotation blowing nozzle 36 based on the detection signal. ) And the upper gripping mechanism 28 are closed to stop the rotation of the wafer w, and the wafer alignment mark is aligned with the position of the alignment portion 37.
• the fork 17 includes a displacement sensor 39 for optically detecting the tilt of the wafer w, and a posture control mechanism 40 for making the fork 17 parallel to the wafer w based on a detection signal from the displacement sensor 39. And are provided.
• the displacement sensor 39 for example, a laser type ultra-small displacement sensor is used, and for example, the height and height of three points on the wafer are detected by the displacement sensor 39 to obtain the center and inclination of the wafer w. .
• FIG. 5 is a schematic side view for explaining the attitude control mechanism of the support part
• FIG. 6 is a schematic front view for explaining the attitude control mechanism of the support part.
• the attitude control mechanism 40 of the fork 17 includes a first tilt stage 40a for left-right tilt and a second tilt stage 40b for front-back tilt.
• First inclined stage on moving body 27 of wafer transfer device 18 The base of 40a is attached, the base of the second inclined stage 4 Ob is attached to the output of the first inclined stage 40a, and the base of the fork 17 is attached to the output of the second inclined stage 40b. Yes.
• the first tilt stage 40a allows the angle of the fork 17 to be adjusted around a center of rotation of the first tilt stage 40a on the center line within a predetermined angle ⁇ a, for example, 180 ° + a.
• the angle of the fork 17 can be adjusted around the rotation center of the second stage 40b by a predetermined angle ⁇ b, for example, ⁇ 10 ° by 40b.
• the controller 41 detects and stores the position information (including the tilt) of the wafer w in the hoop 14 or the boat 9 by the displacement sensor 39 and stores the position information based on the position information. 40 is set to control the attitude of the fork 17. Thereby, for example, when the wafer w in the hoop 14 is tilted, the fork 17 can be tilted (following) in accordance with the tilt of the wafer w, and the wafer w can be securely gripped upward. .
• An obstacle sensor 42 for detecting an obstacle is provided on both sides of the tip of the fork 17.
• an ultrasonic sensor, a CCD camera, or the like can be applied.
• the wafer is transferred to avoid the obstacle, or an obstacle is detected during transfer. By stopping wafer transport, collisions can be avoided and damage to the wafer and equipment can be prevented!
• a mapping sensor (wafer force counter) is provided at the tip of the base 21 of the wafer transfer device 18 for detecting the presence or absence of a UE or w in the hoop 14 or the boat 9 and storing it as positional information.
• (B) 43 is provided.
• the mapping sensor 43 includes a light emitting element 43a that emits infrared rays and a light receiving element 43b that receives the infrared rays.
• the presence / absence of wafers w in each stage in the hoop or in the boat 9 is detected by scanning the matching sensor 43 in the vertical direction along the wafers w held in multiple stages in the hoop 14 or in the boat 9.
• the position information can be stored (mapped) in the storage unit of the controller 41, and the state of the wafer w before and after the processing (for example, the presence or absence of protrusion) can be detected.
• the wafer transfer apparatus 18 having the above configuration is moved above the large-diameter wafer w.
• a fork 17 and an upper grip mechanism 28 provided on the fork 17 and supporting the peripheral portion of the wafer w with an upper grip.
• a gas is blown onto the fork 17 at the center of the upper surface of the wafer w. Since the non-contact suction holding part 30 is provided to hold the wafer w in a non-contact manner so that it does not get caught in the center of the wafer w, the non-contact suction holding part 30 sucks and holds the wafer center part in a non-contact manner. It is possible to suppress or prevent stagnation due to the weight of the center of the wafer when the wafer is transferred due to the super large diameter of the wafer w.
• the non-contact suction holding unit 30 has a suction nozzle 31 disposed in the center, and a plurality of blowing nozzles 32 disposed so as to surround the suction nozzle 31, and therefore, between the fork 17 and the wafer w.
• the non-contact suction holding unit 30 can suppress vertical vibrations (vibration) at the center of the wafer w, and particle scattering can be suppressed.
• the fork 17 detects a rotation blowing nozzle 36 for rotating the wafer w by blowing a gas in a tangential direction of the upper surface of the wafer w, and an alignment mark provided on the wafer w to detect the substrate. Since the alignment unit 37 for performing alignment is provided, the wafer can be aligned (positioning in the crystal direction, alignment) while the wafer is being transferred at the position of the fork 17.
• the alignment apparatus provided in the housing and the wafer transfer process to the alignment apparatus are not required, and the structure can be simplified and the throughput can be improved.
• the fork 17 includes a displacement sensor 39 for optically detecting the inclination of the weno and w, and the fork 17 parallel to the wafer w based on a detection signal from the displacement sensor 39. Since the control mechanism 40 is provided, the wafer w is inclined in the hoop 14, and the fork 17 can be made parallel to the wafer w following the inclined wafer w. Thus, the upper gripping mechanism 28 can securely grip the wafer w. In this case, the attitude control mechanism 40 has a biaxial movement by the first tilt stage 40a and the second tilt stage 40b.
• the fork 17 can be easily moved so as to be parallel to the wafer surface so as to move the palm of the hand, enabling highly accurate wafer transfer. Even if the wafer is tilted, it can be transferred after being corrected to a horizontal posture, so that the wafer can be transferred softly, and damage to the wafer and generation of particles can be prevented.
• the wafer w can be transferred upside down by the first inclined stage 40a.
• the position of the wafer surface can be recognized by the displacement sensor 39 to automatically correct the attitude of the fork 17.
• the position of the upper surface of the uppermost wafer can be recognized only by recognizing the position.
• Position information and pitch information in the boat enable accurate coordinate recognition, simplifying teaching.
• FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing another embodiment of the substrate transfer apparatus.
• the reference plate 44 provided below the fork 17
• the displacement sensor 39 for optically detecting the inclination of the wafer w is provided on the reference plate 44.
• the base end portion of the reference plate 44 is attached to a moving body 27 in the wafer transfer mechanism 18, and the tip end portion extends horizontally in a cantilevered manner like the fork 17.
• the displacement sensor 39 detects the displacement (tilt) of the lower surface of the wafer w, and the attitude control mechanism 40 controls the attitude of the fork 17 in parallel with the wafer w based on the detection signal.
• FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another example of the non-contact suction holding unit
• FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a suction flow path of the non-contact suction holding unit
• FIG. 10 is a diagram of the non-contact suction holding unit.
• FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a pressure feed channel.
• the non-contact suction holding unit 30 according to the present embodiment includes a suction nozzle (suction hole) 31 disposed in the center and a plurality of, for example, four blowing nozzles (blowing holes) 36 disposed around the suction nozzle 31.
• four non-contact suction holding units U are provided. In other words, three units U are arranged at equal intervals around one unit U arranged in the center.
• the suction channel 33 is connected to the suction nozzle 31 of each unit via the distribution channel 33a.
• each unit A plurality of blow nozzles 32 are connected to a pressure feed passage 35 via a primary distribution passage 35a and a secondary distribution passage (for example, an annular passage) 34.
• the flow rate is the flow rate of gas (dry air) pumped to the pumping flow path 35 at a predetermined pressure, for example, 0.2 MPa
• the flying height refers to the wafer w at a stable holding position and the non-floating height. It is the distance between the contact suction holder 30 and the holding force is the force that holds the wafer.
• the flying position is the distance between the wafer and the non-contact suction holder 30 when the wafer w first sucks.
• the pressure is the pressure in the suction channel 33.
• the effective pumping speed of the vacuum pump used as the suction source is 60LZmin, and the ultimate pressure is 97.78kPa.
• the suction holding force measuring device 60 includes a load cell 61 having a wafer w bonded to the upper portion thereof, a non-contact suction holding unit 30 disposed above the wafer w, and the non-contact suction holding unit 30 with respect to the wafer w.
• a height adjusting mechanism (not shown) for adjusting the height and a digital force gauge 62 for outputting and displaying the detected value by the load cell 61.
• the holding force obtained in the above performance test was 721.7 g when the flow rate of the pumped gas was 50 LZmin, and 794 g when 40 LZmin.
• the 300 mm diameter wafer weighs 120 g, and the 450 mm diameter wafer weighs 450 g, so the test results were obtained when all wafers could be held sufficiently.
• FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing another example of the support portion.
• the support unit 70 There are also two horizontal and parallel pipes 70a and 70b.
• the inside of one pipe 70a forms the suction flow path 33, and the inside of the other pipe 70b forms the pumping flow path 35.
• a base member 71 to be attached to the moving body of the wafer transfer device is attached to the base end portions of these tubes 70a and 70b, and a non-contact suction holding portion 30 is attached to the tip portions of the tubes 70a and 70b.
• fixed support portions 28a and 28a of the upper gripping mechanism 128 are attached to the non-contact suction holding portion 30 via arms 72a and 72b extending obliquely forward and left and right, so that the base member 7 A movable support portion (not shown) of the upper gripping mechanism 28 is attached to 1.
• the substrate transfer apparatus having the support portion 70 of the present embodiment the same operational effects as those of the above embodiment can be obtained and the structure can be simplified.
• FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an example of a lower grip type support portion.
• the substrate transfer apparatus includes a support portion 70 that is moved below the wafer w and a lower gripping mechanism 80 that supports the peripheral portion of the wafer w with the lower grip.
• a non-contact suction holding unit 30 is provided for sucking and holding the wafer w in a non-contact manner through an air layer so that gas is blown and sucked to the center of the lower surface of the wafer w so as not to rub the center of the wafer w.
• This lower gripping type support part 70 is an upside down version of the upper gripping type support part 70 shown in FIG.
• the non-contact suction holding unit 30 has arms 72a extending obliquely forward and left and right.
• a movable support portion (not shown) of the upper gripping mechanism 80 is attached to 71.
• the center portion of the lower surface of the wafer w can be held in a non-contact manner, and the same effect as that of the above embodiment can be obtained. , can be prevented from falling off of the wafer w if and received on the non-contact sucking and holding part 30 of the wafer w even failed to work to pass the wafer w in the boat.
• the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design changes and the like without departing from the gist of the present invention. Is possible.
• a plurality of forks may be provided in the vertical direction.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
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• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
• Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
• Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
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• Container, Conveyance, Adherence, Positioning, Of Wafer (AREA)
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• 2007
  • 2007-01-16 JP JP2007007220A patent/JP4642787B2/ja active Active
  • 2007-04-23 US US12/225,920 patent/US8167521B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2007-04-23 CN CN2007800168867A patent/CN101443899B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2007-04-23 EP EP07742137A patent/EP2053648A4/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2007-04-23 WO PCT/JP2007/058702 patent/WO2007129558A1/ja active Application Filing
  • 2007-04-23 KR KR1020087027305A patent/KR101347992B1/ko active IP Right Grant
  • 2007-05-02 TW TW096115590A patent/TWI478265B/zh not_active IP Right Cessation

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